Business Digest Radio

Growing Colorado: Sallie Clark on USDA’s Role in Rural Prosperity

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Colorado Rural Development - State Director, Sallie Clark joins host Dirk Hobbs to reveal how Colorado's rural communities are partnering with the USDA for major projects. 
The former El Paso County Commissioner and Colorado Springs City Councilwoman explains how the USDA is uniquely positioned to serve rural communities (communities with 50K or fewer residents), play a critical role in strengthening rural communities through loans, grants, technical assistance and infrastructure investment. The agency supports affordable housing, business growth, broadband expansion, water systems, healthcare facilities and workforce development projects that help drive economic prosperity, improve quality of life and sustain long-term growth across rural Colorado.
Learn more about the USDA and how to collaborate with the office to apply for grants to strengthen and build key infrastructure, affordable housing solutions, healthcare and education facilities and programs, and more at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/co
Watch this an other podcasts on the So Colorado Business Forum & Digest main page: https://socodigest.com/#youtube 

What Business Banking Should be Doing for Customers: Upward Treasury Partners Explains

Founder of Upward Treasury Partners, Becky Limoge, Certified Treasury Professional and her partner and fellow senior bank executive Jared Schmidt join Business Digest Radio host, Dirk R. Hobbs to discuss how the business banking experience should be viewed and used as a surgical instrument - an operational tool for the business.
And for the Bank Executive: How your institution can optimize business performance for your accounts and win customers for life. What you're leaving on the table...
Upward Treasury website: https://upwardtreasury.com
Subscribe to The Digest: https://socodigest.com/subscribe | To appear on Business Digest Radio: info@coloradomediagroup.com

Data center advancements make placement of facilities in S. Colorado a reality

Mr. Jason Green, Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer at Raeden - a California-based technology infrastructure company, joins host, Dirk Hobbs to showcase their proposal which would become the largest data center development in Colorado Springs history: A 50+ megawatt artificial intelligence-focused facility planned for the former Intel semiconductor campus near Garden of the Gods Road.
The project, known as “Project Taurus,” would repurpose more than 450,000 square feet of existing industrial infrastructure into a next-generation AI and high-performance computing center designed to support growing commercial, aerospace, defense, and national security data demands.
Supporters say the project positions Colorado Springs for the future of artificial intelligence, military technology integration, and advanced digital infrastructure. Critics, however, continue raising concerns surrounding power consumption, noise, water usage, and long-term community impacts.
As Southern Colorado continues evolving into a major hub for aerospace, defense, cyber, and emerging technologies, the conversation around data centers, energy infrastructure, and AI readiness is becoming increasingly important to regional economic development strategy.
Business Digest Radio takes a deeper look at what Project Taurus could mean for Colorado Springs, regional employers, utilities, economic competitiveness, and the future of AI infrastructure in the American West. Job growth expected to be 60 to 100 new high paying jobs. 
Learn more: Raeden.com
Subscribe to The Business Digest: https://socodigest.com/subscribe for these insightful conversations to help you be better informed for your business. 

Mitchell Roth, CEO - Culinova | Formerly Roth Industries Joins Host Dirk Hobbs on Business Digest Radio

Mitchell Roth is the current CEO at Roth Industries, soon to be rebranded as, "Culinova".
Roth joins Business Digest Radio to discuss this industry size and scope, the shifts in this market toward high quality ingredients, distribution, and how Culinova (currently Roth Industries) is currently meeting demand for this segment and its strategy to disrupt this sector like no other company playing in this space. 
Roth also discusses the company's preparations to file it's S-1 this fall, which would make it the second, active publicly traded company headquartered in Colorado Springs. 
Roth Premium Foods is one of the fastest growing refrigerated and frozen prepared food manufacturers in the U.S., producing fully-cooked proteins and meal solutions for the grocery, deli, club, convenience store and foodservice channels. Today Roth has branded and private label retail and foodservice products in over 8,000 stores including Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, and more, as well as restaurants across the country. Our skilled culinary team custom develops recipes that we cook and package in a USDA on-site inspected, SQF Level-2 Certified manufacturing facility in Colorado Springs, CO.
To learn more about the new brand, visit: https://www.culinova.com/about
CULINOVA: CULINARY EXCELLENCE AT SCALE

Pikes Peak Region Small Business Week | May 4-8, 2026 | Brandon Eldridge, Executive Director, PPSBDC

The Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center, Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, and the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado join sponsor US Bank for this year's Small Business Week. 
The weeks starts off with a celebration of finalists of six categories who will be recognized at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on Monday beginning at 4:30pm. 
There's still time to join the week long program at: https://www.pikespeaksbw.com/ 
 

Travas Deal, CEO at Colorado Springs Utilities - Q2 business update

Colorado Springs Utilities: State of the System | Q2 Executive Update
Colorado Springs Utilities powers more than 500,000 customers across the Pikes Peak region-delivering electricity, natural gas, water, and wastewater services as a community-owned enterprise.
With a $2.2 billion 2026 budget, CSU is prioritizing critical infrastructure, grid modernization, and regulatory alignment, guided by its core strategy: rates, reliability, and relationships.
On this episode of Business Digest Radio, CEO Travas Deal joins host Dirk Hobbs for a comprehensive quarterly briefing, covering:
System-wide infrastructure investments and long-term capacity planning
Updates on the Horizon Plant and wastewater expansion
The evolving role and timeline of nuclear energy in the regional mix
Water supply realities tied to the Colorado River Compact
Drought outlook and CSU’s preparedness heading into a high-risk fire season
For business leaders, policymakers, and residents alike, this conversation provides critical insight into the systems underpinning Southern Colorado’s growth and resilience.
CSU also invites the community to attend its upcoming State of the Utility (SOTU):
June 24, 2026 | 8:00 AMColorado Springs City HubRegister: https://www.csu.org/events/state-of-the-utility
#ColoradoSprings #Utilities #Infrastructure #Water #Energy #EconomicDevelopment #BusinessDigestRadio #SouthernColorado

Colorado & El Paso County Medical Societies | Legislative Season Q2 2026

Colorado’s physician community is navigating a consequential legislative cycle in 2026, with several Senate and House bills poised to shape care delivery, regulatory oversight, and the long-term sustainability of medical practice across the state.
On Business Digest Radio, industry leaders Chet Seward, Chief Strategy Officer of the Colorado Medical Society, Dr. Brian Kilmartin, cardiothoracic surgeon and legislative representative for the El Paso County Medical Society, and Natalie Myers, CEO of the El Paso County Medical Society, outlined the most pressing measures physicians should be tracking.
The discussion highlights growing complexity in compliance requirements, evolving reimbursement dynamics, and ongoing debates around access to care, workforce pressures, and scope of practice.
For Southern Colorado providers, the implications are immediate—impacting operational decision-making, patient access, and the broader healthcare ecosystem. Physicians and healthcare leaders are encouraged to stay informed and engaged as these proposals move through the legislative process.
The full conversation is available on Spotify, iHeart, and Apple Podcasts—search Business Digest Radio.

Legislative Review for Physicians in Colorado: Q1 Overview from El Paso County and Colorado Medical Societies

Colorado’s physician community is navigating a consequential legislative cycle in 2026, with several Senate and House bills poised to shape care delivery, regulatory oversight, and the long-term sustainability of medical practice across the state.
On Business Digest Radio, industry leaders Chet Seward, Chief Strategy Officer of the Colorado Medical Society, Dr. Brian Kilmartin, cardiothoracic surgeon and legislative representative for the El Paso County Medical Society, and Natalie Myers, CEO of the El Paso County Medical Society, outlined the most pressing measures physicians should be tracking.
The discussion highlights growing complexity in compliance requirements, evolving reimbursement dynamics, and ongoing debates around access to care, workforce pressures, and scope of practice.
For Southern Colorado providers, the implications are immediate—impacting operational decision-making, patient access, and the broader healthcare ecosystem. Physicians and healthcare leaders are encouraged to stay informed and engaged as these proposals move through the legislative process.
The full conversation is available on Spotify, iHeart, and Apple Podcasts—search Business Digest Radio.

Chelsey Valerio joins Host Dirk Hobbs to Discuss the 3rd Ambassadors For Hope Golf Tourney-Oct 6

Chelsey Valerio is head of marketing for Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group, and a strategic partner with Colorado Media Group for the 2025 Ambassadors for Hope Golf Tournament. 
Valerio is an impassioned ambassador for the mission our beneficiary of the tournament, The Exodus Road, enacts every day around the world.  This prestigious tournament is now open for registration and sponsorships: https://ambassadorsforhopecos.com 
Hear her journey and message about awareness, and working to create a strong community of support for those coming out of the life of labor and sex trafficking and of course, preventative measures we as a community can build. 
We'll also cover how A.I. is being used at the individual level, as well as, in her orthopedics firm and how these technologies are creating efficiencies on every front of patient experience, and provider workflow. 
#ChelseyValerio, #AmbassadorsForHope, #TheExodusRoad #ColoradoMediaGroup, #NORTHmagazine, #NoMoreHumanTrafficking 
 

Wayne Heilman joins Dirk Hobbs on The Business Digest Weekly - State of Journalism

What comes to mind when you hear the word, "journalism"? 
Unfortunately for many, it's not what it used to be which was an honorable profession. Today, the work of journalists and media outlets typically arises a response on par with political operative, biased, and worse - not trusted. 
Like most of our institutions, medical - academia - food production, and countless others, Media & Journalism is going through a prolonged season of reconciliation with it's audiences. And we've earned our turn in the "refiners fire" as media outlets throughout the world have opted to follow the money and ideology rather than the story. 
Both the liberal and conservative media outlets have let Americans down with the unveiling of their innate biases to appease agendas and advertisers and have been for decades. Today's outlets are even more emboldened than ever going so far as to not even attempt to conceal their bias.  
For most Americans, mainstream and cable "journalists" (many of them not even degreed in journalism or even English), are a little more than entertainment hosts posing as impartial reporters of the news. They have positioned themselves as outlets for a political party and the formula has worked extremely well ... for them. But not for us as news consumers. 
Senior Writer for the S. Colorado Business Forum & Digest and a 40 year, highly respected, and reputable reporter for such prominent publications as The Gazette (Colorado Springs), Wayne Heilman joins host Dirk Hobbs for a fire-side chat about the current state of journalism, and what Colorado Media Group is doing to combat poor, inaccurate and counter-productive news reporting in the industry throughout southeast Colorado and south Denver. There is hope for this profession again! 
Website: HTTPS://SOCODIGEST.COM